by Penny Angeles-Tan | May 31, 2022 | Bon Appetit
The roles of fathers have gone beyond being the sole provider for the family. They are equally important in nurturing the family’s wellbeing by building strong relationships and being actively involved in child care interests and responsibilities.
These wonderful fathers, who literally become our rock, protect us as much as they can. Some fathers may not be huggers or emotionally attuned to us but you know they truly care deep down through their unique love language. We are truly blessed to have fathers and father figures in our lives, who helped mold us into what we are today. We thus salute these ‘’men’” on their special day.
Nothing beats whipping up something sweet from the heart. Make your love language food. Make this utterly #Madalicious treat, Cerveza Negra Chocolate Balls, made with Magnolia Devil’s Food Cake Mix combined with Cerveza Negra. It will pleasantly surprise your taste buds, too.
Cerveza Negra Chocolate Balls
Prep Time40 minutes mins
Cook Time25 minutes mins
Course: Dessert
Keyword: Cerveza Negra, chocolate
Servings: 40 pieces
Chocolate Balls
- 1 550 g pack MAGNOLIA DEVIL’S FOOD CAKE MIX
- 3 50 g each pc MAGNOLIA BROWN EGGS
- 1 330 mL bottle CERVEZA NEGRA
- 1 120 mL cup coconut oil
Coating and Decor
- 1/2 kg dark chocolate chopped
- 100 grams pistachio nuts chopped
- 120 grams cocoa powder
- 80 grams desiccated coconut
- 100 grams white chocolate melted (optional)
Preheat the oven to 176.7°C (350 F). Meanwhile, line and grease one (1) 12x16 inch square pan with baking/wax paper. Set aside.
In a bowl, combine cake mix, eggs, Cerveza Negra, and oil. Mix until smooth and pour into the prepared pan.
Bake for 25 minutes. Let cool and then crumble cake and form into 1-inch balls.
Prepare dark chocolate by melting it for 10-15 seconds in a microwave oven over a high setting.
Dip each ball in melted dark chocolate and then roll each ball in pistachio nuts, cocoa powder, or desiccated coconut. Drizzle with some melted white chocolate placed in a piping bag, if desired.
Yield: 40 pc (30 grams per ball) /4 pc per serving
by Penny Angeles-Tan | May 27, 2022 | Business
In life, support comes in different forms. It may be from our loved ones, from things that bring us comfort, and even from tools that make our lives easier. One such tool is Emma by AXA PH, an app by leading insurance provider AXA Philippines. Emma aims to be your dedicated partner in digital health and financial wellness.
Rahul Hora, President, and CEO of AXA Philippines
“Emma by AXA PH was designed to make every Filipino’s health and financial journey convenient and that much easier to achieve. It provides instant access to various health and financial products and services all in one app, always ready whenever they may be needed,” said Rahul Hora, AXA Philippines President and CEO.
The award-winning app, which has won Mobile App of the Year at the Insurance Asia Awards 2021, has features that help policyholders conveniently update their plans to match their life goals and needs. Tasks like paying their premiums, topping up their investment, viewing and changing their beneficiary, changing their payment method, filing of claims, and plan reinstatement, can all be done via Emma.
Aside from empowering AXA customers to do their AXA transactions on the app safely and conveniently, the Emma by AXA PH app also offers access to its AXA Rescue Line feature. Rescue Line allows users, both AXA customers and non-customers alike, access to 24/7 emergency assistance, including police, fire, ambulance, and roadside assistance. The app also allows users to contact their loved ones in case of emergencies quickly, letting them list up to three emergency contacts on the app.
Moreover, AXA customers can easily accomplish other essential transactions on the app, such as accessing their ePolicy, avail of medical teleconsultation, and accessing their Global Health Access or Health Care Access eCard.
Downloading the app is free, with a quick and simple registration process. But the app doesn’t only serve to benefit individual users, but the community as well. Just recently, AXA partnered with Communities Organized for Resource Allocation (CORA) for the “Adopt a Mangrove Seedling” promo wherein for the first 2,000 app registrations, AXA Philippines, through AXA Hearts in Action, lets customers adopt a mangrove to help the environment. Watch out for more initiatives like this when you download the Emma by AXA PH app.
Emma by AXA PH can be downloaded on Google Play or App Store. It can also be accessed via the web. For more information, visit https://www.axa.com.ph/emma.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | May 26, 2022 | Art and Science
Multi-disciplinary artist and Far Eastern University alumnus Bjorn Calleja, whose work has been exhibited in galleries both locally and internationally, such as headlining the recently held Art Fair Philippines 2022, takes another step forward into the non-fungible token (NFT) space as the lone Filipino artist whose work will be exhibited during the pioneering interactive art exhibit entitled “NFTs + The Ever-Evolving World of Art” at Art Basel Hong Kong.
The exhibit, organized by blockchain firm TZ APAC and Art Basel, will commence from May 27 to May 29 in Hong Kong’s Convention & Exhibition Center. Including Calleja, the event will showcase the works of over 20 contemporary “generative” digital artists from around the world. The interactive exhibition space will also feature a showcase designed in collaboration with FXhash, the leading generative art platform on the Tezos blockchain, allowing visitors to receive a unique generative artwork NFT from participating artists in a first-of-its-kind interactive NFT gallery experience.
Bjorn Calleja’s art style is described as a reflection of the interplay between the micro and macrocosms of humans within and against their environments. He described one of his NFT projects, Stoopid Avatar, as his “satirical commentary on my outsider’s perspective on the PFP culture.”
“I think as a contemporary artist minting NFTs, the value should exceed utility and marketing gimmicks, nothing against them but I understand that it’s a long game and there is more to Art than these tangibles,” Calleja’s remarks on NFTs, which are unique digital assets on the blockchain.
In line with this year’s theme of ‘NFTs + the Ever-Evolving World of Art’, Katherine Ng mentioned that TZ APAC is “excited to showcase especially innovative works that point to NFTs and their limitlessness as a medium, empowering artists as it redefines the scope and scale of today’s art world in the digital age.”
“It’s time that we recognize this new generation of digital talent in a traditional forum as the worlds of modern art, technology, and the creator economy continue to converge,” she added.
“As the leading contemporary art fair in the world, it’s exciting to once again see the art community able to gather and celebrate the spirit of innovation in today’s art scene. To have the opportunity to showcase some of the world’s leading digital art talent is at the heart of what the Tezos ecosystem is celebrated for. NFTs have given these creators an unprecedented opportunity to reach new audiences, hone their craft, and make a name for themselves in an online forum, effectively rewriting the rulebook when it comes to the accessibility of the art world,” said Katherine Ng, Head of Marketing and Operations at TZ APAC.
The other international artist featured in the exhibit are; Nicolas Sassoon (France) Qingnan Tan (Random Combo) (China), Chaeseok (CS) Lim (South Korea), Lionel Radisson (makio135) (France), Yazid Azahari (Brunei), Munira Hamzah (Mumu the stan) (Malaysia), Iskra Velitchkova (Bulgaria), Michaël Zancan (France), Sarah Ridgley (United States), Aleksandra Jovanić (Serbia), Park Se Jin (08AM) (South Korea), Fan Yi Wen (Reva) (China), Matt DesLauriers (Canada), and Wieslaw Borkowski (baiwei) (Poland).
Art Basel, Hong Kong 2022 will highlight artworks from 130 local and international exhibitors. For those unable to attend the event in person, galleries will also be presenting their work online as part of ‘Art Basel Live: Hong Kong,’ in dedicated Online Viewing Rooms.
What are NFTs?
A non-fungible token (NFT) is a unique token that is utilized to represent various types of digital assets like artworks, game items, skins, music, videos, books, etc that are verified on a blockchain. The contents of the NFTs are usually stored in a decentralized data storage platform.
What is Generative Art?
The use of an algorithm or computer code to generate art. The artist creates the rules using a program like FxHash, and then the program will generate the art on the artist’s behalf.
About Tezos
Tezos is smart money, redefining what it means to hold and exchange value in a digitally connected world. A self-upgradable and energy-efficient Proof of Stake blockchain with a proven track record, Tezos seamlessly adopts tomorrow’s innovations without network disruptions today. For more information, please visit tezos.com.
About TZ APAC
TZ APAC Pte. Ltd. (“TZ APAC”) is the leading Asia-based blockchain adoption entity supporting the Tezos ecosystem. It designs value-added blockchain transformation strategies for enterprises and creators with a bottom-up approach, working closely with blockchain experts and other stakeholders in the Tezos ecosystem. TZ APAC is supported by the Tezos Foundation and is headquartered in Singapore. For more information, please visit tzapac.com.
About FXhash
FXhash is an open platform where artists can publish Generative Tokens which are stored on the Tezos blockchain. Generative Tokens are programs designed to produce random outputs. Once a Generative Token is enabled (when the artist decides it), anyone with a Tezos wallet can mint their own unique iteration of the Generative Token. Each iteration produces a unique piece that is stored as an NFT on the Tezos blockchain. The NFTs are FA2 compliant, which means that they can be exchanged like any other NFT everywhere in the Tezos ecosystem. For more information, please visit fxhash.xyz.
About Art Basel
Founded in 1970 by gallerists from Basel, Art Basel today stages the world’s premier art shows for Modern and contemporary art, sited in Basel, Miami Beach, and Hong Kong. Defined by its host city and region, each show is unique, which is reflected in its participating galleries, artworks presented, and the content of parallel programming produced in collaboration with local institutions for each edition. Art Basel’s engagement has expanded beyond art fairs through new digital platforms and several new initiatives such as the Art Basel and UBS Global Art Market Report, Intersections: The Art Basel Podcast, and the BMW Art Journey. Art Basel’s Global Media Partner is The Financial Times. For further information, please visit artbasel.com.
Artist Biography:
Bjorn Calleja (b. 1981, Manila, Philippines) is a Filipino painter and interdisciplinary artist. He earned his BFA from Far Eastern University, where he later became a part-time lecturer. Aside from exhibiting his work, his early career involved corporate jobs and stints as a graphic designer. He also co-founded Design. Other Things. (2012-2014), a design studio that employed a team of visual artists.
Solo exhibitions include; Unknown Unknowns at the ArtFair Philippines/Projects (2022), The Ennead at Secret Fresh Gallery (2018); Acme at West Gallery (2018); Postcolonial Rubbish at Pablo Gallery (2017); Self-Portrait as a Hamburger at Secret Fresh Gallery (2016); There Is No Solution Because There Is No Problem At Underground Gallery (2016); Confessions of an Almost Artist at West Gallery (2013); Bubblegum Stories at Secret Fresh Gallery (2012); Eat my Daddy at The Crucible Gallery (2012); Some Failed Attempts in Creating a Good Image for Painting at West Gallery (2011); The Color Bringer at Secret Fresh Gallery (2011); Fear Made me Do This at Lost Projects (2011). His work has also been included in various group exhibitions locally and abroad, and published in books; Toy Art 2.0 (2014), Philippines: Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone Contemporary Artists from the Philippines Imago Mundi – Luciano Benetton Collection (2014).
by Penny Angeles-Tan | May 25, 2022 | Book Reviews
Four Fun by Stephanie Brother is unique in that from the very beginning, we, the readers, are told that Becca only wants sex, no relationship!
While women who know what they want and go after it is not uncommon for Stephanie’s female lead characters, Becca has to be the most determined I have ever encountered. Her encounters with these four delicious men are just amazing on so many levels. I tend to immerse myself in the characters as I read so I would be alternately highly aroused, highly amused, puzzled, etc.
As a reader, I already know from the get-go where the story is going so I must admit to being impatient for Becca to realize who the roommates are. The reveal was epic! But I must admit, Shane stole my heart on the first night. He was so tender and loving that I wanted to slap Becca on the back of her head for being so distant and insisting on a one-nighter.
Four Fun by Stephanie Brother is DEFINITELY a MUST-READ! You can get a copy of this book in Kindle or paperback formats on Amazon. Don’t forget to read the other books in the series!
by Penny Angeles-Tan | May 18, 2022 | Business
As part of its commitment to help advance progress in the country, leading building solutions provider Holcim Philippines, Inc. is proud to partner with Build Change Philippines, an organization focused on building disaster-resilient homes in developing nations, to strengthen local structures against natural calamities.
Holcim Philippines Senior Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer Zoe Sibala and Build Change Philippines Country Director Arnel Capili sealed the partnership on May 11 to work on disaster-resilient housing projects and advocate this approach among stakeholders. The parties agreed to work together to initially support areas impacted by super Typhoon Odette in 2021.
From right are Build Change Philippines Program Officer Marvin Daryl Riego, Country Director Arnel Capili, Holcim Philippines Senior Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer Zoe Sibala, and Vice President for Communications and Corporate Social Responsibility Cara Ramirez during the signing activity of the partnership for disaster-resilient construction on May 11.
The partners will collaborate on possible projects to build or retrofit houses, schools, and evacuation centers for disaster resilience and capacity-building through training and advocacy of policies or financing strategies to key stakeholders. Finally, both organizations are committed to developing a scalable affordable housing program in collaboration with other key stakeholders like microfinance institutions to increase access to affordable, disaster-resilient homes, particularly for the more vulnerable segments of society.
Capili highlighted the importance of making structures more resilient in the Philippines given its vulnerability to natural disasters such as earthquakes and storms since the country is within the Pacific Ring of Fire and the typhoon belt. He added that climate change further heightens these threats as it intensifies extreme weather around the world.
“The advocacy of Build Change is to build resilient houses and provide Filipinos a safe space when these disasters come. This partnership will help make that come true. This will be as solid as Holcim cement, durable as Build Change house, and as lasting as the friendship and camaraderie that we will forge with Holcim Philippines,” he said.
Sibala, meanwhile, noted the relevance of the partnership to the Company’s commitment to building inclusive progress in the country.
“Owning a home remains an elusive dream for many Filipinos. Build Change has been paving the way for increased access to affordable, decent, and resilient homes in the country so we are happy to complement this effort. This partnership also demonstrates that we can deliver business value while addressing social issues and the key to this is a credible partner with a strong track record. Through our innovative and sustainable building solutions, and with the right products for the right applications we look to help Build Change in its mission of building more resilient homes and realize our vision of building greener, smarter, and for all,” she said.
Holcim Philippines Vice President and Head of Communications and Corporate Social Responsibility Cara Ramirez, meanwhile, noted that the partnership strengthens the company’s support for communities to be more disaster resilient having done such projects for survivors of Typhoon Pablo in Compostella Valley and neighbors of its Davao Plant living in flood-prone areas.
“This supports our commitment to building progress in the Philippines by contributing to making homes more resilient against extreme weather and natural disasters caused by climate change Doing so allows us to contribute to sustainable development as the lives and property of our countrymen are better protected,” she added.
Build Change has worked in the Philippines since Typhoon Yolanda in 2013. During this period, it has supported both post-disaster reconstructions and works to prevent housing loss against future disasters. Among its accomplishments is the construction of over 2,000 safer buildings for 40,000 people, training of over 4,700 individuals in safe construction practices, creation of 560 jobs, and expansion of its network of partners in local government, the business sector for greater impact.
About Holcim Philippines
Holcim Philippines, Inc. (Philippine Stock Exchange: HLCM) is one of the leading building solution companies in the country. The Company has a deep portfolio of innovative solutions fostered by a full range of products from structuring to finishing applications that can help local builders execute with high performance and efficiency a wide range of projects from massive infrastructure to simple home repairs.
With cement manufacturing facilities in La Union, Bulacan, Batangas, Misamis Oriental, and Davao, as well as aggregates and dry mix business and technical support facilities for building solutions, Holcim Philippines is a reliable partner for builders in the country.
Holcim Philippines is also committed to the highest standards of sustainable operations and manufacturing excellence with its plants certified under ISO 14001:2015 (Environmental Management System), ISO 9001:2015 (Quality Management System), and OHSAS 45001:2018 (Occupational Health and Safety Management System).
Holcim Philippines is a member of the Holcim Group, the world leader in the building materials industry present in 70 countries with over 70,000 employees.
About Holcim
Holcim builds progress for people and the planet. As a global leader in innovative and sustainable building solutions, Holcim is enabling greener cities, smarter infrastructure, and improving living standards around the world. With sustainability at the core of its strategy, Holcim is becoming a net-zero company, with its people and communities at the heart of its success. The company is driving circular construction as a world leader in recycling to build more with less. Holcim is the company behind some of the world’s most trusted brands in the building sector including ACC, Aggregate Industries, Ambuja Cement, Disensa, Firestone Building Products, Geocycle, Holcim, Lafarge, and Malarkey Roofing Products. Holcim is 70,000 people around the world who are passionate about building progress for people and the planet through four business segments: Cement, Ready-Mix Concrete, Aggregates, and Solutions & Products.
Learn more about Holcim at www.holcim.com, and by following us on LinkedIn and Twitter.
While women who know what they want and go after it is not uncommon for Stephanie’s female lead characters, Becca has to be the most determined I have ever encountered. Her encounters with these four delicious men are just amazing on so many levels. I tend to immerse myself in the characters as I read so I would be alternately highly aroused, highly amused, puzzled, etc.
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